1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a component mounting apparatus for mounting components on a board.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As electronic equipments, there is one in which respective sheets of boards different in kind are combined and arranged in one and the same product. Where components are to be mounted by a component mounting apparatus on such boards, it tends that an intermediate stock of boards in one kind increases due to difference in the combined numbers in sheet of different-kind boards as well as due to difference in the numbers or the like of components to be mounted on the respective kind boards. To avoid this drawback, in JP2008-28262 for example, there is disclosed a production control method in which boards of different kinds are respectively produced by a plurality of production lines and in which component mounting apparatuses in the respective production lines are controlled so that boards of different kinds required for one product are grouped and are produced as one board unit or group. According to the production method, since boards of one group are successively produced, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of an intermediate stock of the boards of a particular kind, but it is unable to enhance the efficiency in board production.
Further, in US 2004/0128827 A1 and its divisional application US 2010/0050426 A1 (equivalent of JP2004-128400 A) for example, there is disclosed a component mounting apparatus which is provided with two parallel-arranged board transfer devices and component placing heads, wherein the component placing heads operate in an alternate fashion to mount components on two boards transferred by the two board transfer devices and wherein while either one of the boards is being transferred after completion of component mounting operations, both of the component placing heads concentrically perform component mounting operations on the other board. According to the component mounting apparatus, the mountings of components on the other board are carried out efficiently, so that the efficiency in board production can be enhanced.
In the United States patent application publications, description has been made regarding the component mounting apparatus which mounts components on the other board while either one board is being transferred and which is thus capable of efficiently performing component mountings on the other board and hence of enhancing the efficiency in board production.